In a subsea well, an elongate tubular riser connects a subsea wellhead to a platform or vessel at the surface. The riser may have a series of ancillary lines, such as a choke and a kill line, which run along the length of the riser. The riser and ancillary lines are coated in buoyant foam, yielding a smooth outer surface. The riser comprises a series of riser spools of finite length which must be connected to reach from the platform or vessel to the well at the sea floor. Each riser is joined to the next by a riser connector, and with each connection, the riser spools must be aligned both angularly to align the ancillary lines and radially. Additionally, the device actuating the connector must be aligned with the connector itself.
Because a typical riser consists of many riser spools, the alignment and connection process is repeated many times, once for each connection. This process, when performed manually is time consuming and requires significant man power, but could be automated to save time.
Therefore, there is a need for a device to automate the riser make up process. The device should align the risers and actuate the connector with a minimum of time spent making each connection. Additionally, the device should minimize the number of workers required for each make up.